Witchcraft, Wizardry, and Wishing for Romance
by Scarlet Snidget
Summary: -SSOC- Katherine Avexon has returned to Hogwarts as a professor and becomes infatuated with her childhood sweetheart, now the infamous Professor Snape. Romantic plot ensues upon finding their views conflict. -Weaves itself within the HP series--On hiatus-
1. Prologue: A Return to Hogwarts

A/N: This was one of my first fics… this is the de-suified version. I'm still workin' on it; it was written terribly before, and I never put it on so now I'm putting the good version up. Please read and review. Tell me wutcha think, what you think I could improve, and what you like. Thanxies. -RG

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Disclaimer: The only thing I can claim ownership of is a single character: Katherine… well, her and the romantic plot. Everything else, the characters, the basic plot, etc., belong to the amazing JKR. I am merely a lowly fic writer. Seriously, who'd believe I own any of this? -rolls eyes- Anyway, on with the fic!

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_Staring up the weathered stone steps, my eyes following their way up to the great oak doors, I couldn't help but smile. Things had changed a lot; I missed this place. It had been years since I'd been here; years. Ah, the memories! Memories of my childhood, my school years, my friends; the memories flooded my mind. There was one in particular..._

_...It was our fifth year. As for 'our,' it may or may not come as a surprise that my friends were mostly boys. If you're talking about whom I'd spend time with on a normal basis, you could say all boys. I did, of course, have friends who were girls, like Lily and Diana. Being in school together, living under the same roof for almost seven years, not including summers, it was hard not to be friends with those of your own gender. However, I preferred the boys for some reason, and whether or not I went on_ **all** _their escapades, we were as close as could be. _

I was a year younger than most of my friends, boy or girl, so I was currently fourteen rather than fifteen as most. Because they felt I was ready, I had been accepted into the school a year earlier than usual. It didn't seem to make much of a difference, because I never truly felt any younger.

_Anyway, we had just finished our O.W.L.'s. It was a beautiful day, so we chose to spend our leisure time out by the lake. We sat in the pleasant shade of a tree, I laying on a low branch and the four boys at the base. We were having a perfectly good time. It was perfectly good, that is, until_ he _came along._

_"He" was one whom everyone, most of all my friends, loved to pick on. Then again, "everyone" never truly includes everyone, and this "everyone" didn't include me. "Him" and I at first spent our classes bickering, but we had become friends when we finally got past that. Usually we met secretly, so my other friends never knew._  
_They had done and said many terrible things to "him", but this topped them off. Eventually, our group's "leader," James, who had used a charm to flip "him" upside-down, was stopped by Lily, my friend whom I had mention previously. He stopped for the time being, but only because Lily was his crush. Lily left, though, after being called a mudblood by "him" when "he" told her he didn't need her help. James went right back into his vicious torment after she left, and he would have continued for a long time had I not used a tripping charm on him. He never knew I did it._

_I slipped "him" a note to meet me that night at the Room of Requirement. I had spent half of the time apologizing for not doing more, while "he" sat listening and seemingly emotionless. It turns out he wasn't really emotionless at all. It was at that time that we shared out first kiss..._

_...As the memory faded, I sighed. I looked back at the lake, partially out of longing for my childhood againand partially out of regret of things that had happened. The friends I had were the renowned Marauders, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs; Remus, Peter, Sirius and James, respectively. That "him" I spoke of was now a professor. That "him" was named Severus Snape._

_I looked above the great oak doors to the towers and turrets of Hogwarts, where I, Katherine Avexton, now 31, would also be teaching. I inhaled deeply, placing my foot down, thus taking my first step up these beautiful steps since about fourteen years before. Things would be different, but hopefully I'd have many more wonderful memories._


	2. Ch1: Onyx Black, Crimson Blush

A/N: Sorry for long-time, no-update to anyone who was reading this. I kept forgetting to add to it… plus I was being kinda lazy. Feel free to pester me about it. : D It's good for me if you do. So, yeah… well, here it is!

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Disclaimer: I dream of saying "I own Harry Potter." At least, "I own Snape." Alas, this is not the case. All this stuff 'cept my character and the romantic plot belong to JKR.

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Katherine stepped through the doors into the entrance hall, looking about in awe as the shut behind her. It looked the same as it did those years before. She dropped her bags and walked around the deserted area, tucking a lock of wavy, blonde hair behind her ear. As she moseyed back to her bags, she heard the clep, clep, clep of someone coming down the stairway.

"Ah, I see you've arrived Katherine." Professor Dumbledore greeted her with a warm smile. Katherine felt it was impossible to keep from smiling also. "Welcome back," he said.

"Thank you," she replied with a nod. "It's good to be back."

"As soon as you pick up your bags, Katherine, you can follow me." She snatched them up and they set off at a brisk pace for his office. The whole way there, Katherine felt amazed, as if she'd gone back in time; she grinned, knowing that everything had just remained as it was. She couldn't say the same for herself.

With a murmur of "jelly slugs," the staircase leading to his office door began its spiraling way up, and the two stepped onto it like a muggle escalator.

Once inside, Dumbledore motioned for her to sit. "Now," he said, "as for your class, you will be teaching Spell Application. I assume the name explains itself, but you'll be teaching how to apply normal spells to everyday life." He carried on with procedures and the like. When he had finished, his eyes twinkled as he said, "Well, now that I'm done jabbering, I might as well show you your classroom, quarters, and the other places you'd probably like to know about."

First on the tour was her classroom. It was a beautiful, spacey room. When entering, a simple desk was at the far right, behind which was a blackboard. Next to the blackboard was the door to her office. Pairs of desks sat in neat rows most of the way back through the classroom, but there was a small area in the back. The wall opposite the entrance was full of large, windows, letting in lots of light. The whole place had a rather cheery atmosphere.

In her office was a beautiful mahogany desk and armchair, along with a large filing cabinet. A decently sized window let in the rays of sunlight, and a small fireplace was in the corner. The room was small but not cramped. Instead, it was a cozy type of small.

Katherine was then led by Professor Dumbledore to the professor's lounge. One long table filled the center of the room, drawing your eyes from the right wall all the way to the fireplace at the far, far left. A row of tall, narrow windows lined the wall opposite the door. Surrounding the table and scattered throughout the room were plushy armchairs. Some were battered, some new, and not a single one matched another, but they were comfy-looking nonetheless.

"There is but one last thing to show you," she was told. And with that, the Headmaster led her to one of the towers. They came to a door, and he handed her a key. "This is now yours."

She nodded curiously, inserting it into the door's lock; it seemed too simple a key to provide any real security. The key and lock must have been enchanted, for she felt a tingle in her fingers as the lock clicked open.

"This," he said to her as the door swung gently open, "is your room."

With a mystified smile, Katherine stepped inside. As she walked in, there was a small area with counter and cabinets to the left and also a round table and four chairs. The chairs' and table's frame was iron, the seats and tabletop were of a light wood, most likely pine; the floor was beautifully rich dark wood.

A few steps further, and the floor was covered with a large, red and gold and blue rug, except for a small path of wood floor, leading to two doors on the right. One was close to the front door, the other was on an angled bit of wall, partially around the corner. On the rug was a couch and armchair, facing the fireplace. Even further, where the room began to curve in an L-shaped fashion, the floor became carpeted, dusty blue, and there was a large desk and armchair not far from a deep window. Katherine went ehind this to find a bookshelf, and where the room went into the branch of the L, on the bookshelf's other side, was what was to be her "bedoom."

This "bedroom" was separated only by the bookshelf, but it had a beautifully made bed; a curvy, brassy headborad curling gracefully up from behind; the quilt a royally dark blue, accented with bits of gold; and accented with red, velvety pilows. There was also a wardrobe, dresser, vanity set, and full-sized mirror.

"I get... all this?" She said in amazement.

The headmaster chuckled. "Yes, for the students we have proudly embellished common rooms, not to mention fine dormitories; the prefects get elaborate bathrooms; and the teachers get extravigant quarters."

"This is incredible..."

"You should see the Heads of Houses'. Especially Minerva's." He smiled, eyes twinkling, then he laughed at the expression that overtook her face. "Well, this is where I shall leave you. As you know classes start in a week."

"Thank you, sir."

"My pleasure, my pleasure. Remember: classes start in a week." And with that, he turned and left with a jovial saunter.

She immediately set out in unpacking her belongings and organizing everything, putting things in drawers, on shelves, in cabinets, and otherwise.

After accomplishing that, Katherine gathered up some of her papers and walked to the professor's lounge, trying to organize them as she walked.

"I think I forgot one..." she murmured to herself as she reached the room. Flipping through the pile she held as she stood outside the doorway, she breathed a sigh of relief as she found the one she wanted. She was about to go in when someone in the room attracted her attention very, very quickly.

He didn't notice her, and though she couldn't properly see his face, as his head was bent over his papers, she could recognize him. The hair, long, dark and lank; the little she could see of his nose; and simply the way he sat almost hunched over his papers, fully concentrating on them, were characteristics she could never forget.

"Severus?" she whispered, probably louder than she'd intended, because his head snapped up.

Her breath caught in her throat as she found herself staring into those onyx-black eyes, which seemed like endlessly deep abysses. For a single moment, recognition sparked through them.

"Katherine," he said simply. "I was wondeing when you'd show up here." He smirked, just staring at me.

She gave a small nod, regaining her ability to speak. " Hello, Severus. Oh, you were expecting me to be teaching, eventually? I turned here because I couldn't support myself well enough at Diagon Alley."

"Hmm. What luck for you to have attained a position." He rolled his eyes and glanced down at his papers, as if asking when he could go back to them.

She couldn't bear this, anyway; she felt humiliated. His short, noncaring, and rather sarcastic answers weren't exactly the nicest greeting. He'd always had a bit of an acerbic attitude and way of speaking, but never so much so as now.

Not wanting to get any deeper into this situation, but feeling that leaving the room would be just as awkward, she went to the opposite end of the table to work quietly.

Every so often, she'd find herself simply looking at him, though; maybe it was normal after the 'conversation' they'd shared, maybe she was just studying how his features had changed, or maybe she just didn't know.

His features _had_ changed since she'd last seen him. Of course, the last time she'd seen him was more than ten years ago, so his features were bound to have changed. They were more mature. He seemed slightly more severe; he was also a bit paler, if that was possible. Somehow, though, something captivated her about his features; there was something intriguing about him. For one thing, she was amazed by his eyes. They were as black as the ink on the parchment he read, possibly even darker, and they were so deep, almost endless.

He finally finished whatever he was doing, and rose to leave; Katherine watched at he gathered his papers. He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, noticing the stares, and she blushed crimson. He never saw that, though; he left too quickly.

With a sigh, she finished as quickly as possible. _Why did I even bother to come here in the first place?_ she wondered. _I could have saved myself some embarrassment and stayed in my room._

Days flew by in peace, and finally the last day before the students' arrival came. Walking past Katherine in the hall, the Headmaster paused her for a moment. "I'd like to inform you of one thing: a student-- you will immediately know who he is, I'm sure of it-- is arriving tomorrow. I want to tell you to be careful what you say and do; try not to show favoritism... if that's possible, for I thought you the most likely professor to do so. I say this not condescendingly; I say this because... well, you'll know soon enough." He smiled, leaving Katherine slightly dumbfounded.

_What student would I be most likely to treat with favoritism?_ she asked herself. _Why would I? Maybe because I knew them... or their parents... who of my friends has children? I've barely been corresponding with anyone since… well, for a long time. _She pondered this as she walked back to her room.

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A/N: I actually made a blue-printish thing of her quarters. I'll have to scan it in, sometime. Haha, feel free to pester me to get it done. : D


	3. Ch2: Only Magic

A/N: Yay for commitment! Okay, so, I'm actually getting this chapter up fast. Amazing. Anyaway, this is the next chapter! Read, and plese review.

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Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter like I own the Nile River. Exactly, I don't! Only Katherine and the romantic lot are mine.

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_The Hogwarts Express is already on its way,_ Katherine thought with a smile.

With a wave of her wand, her corset laced tight; pulling things out from her wardrobe, she dressed in smokey and dark shades of blue robes. She then examined herself in the mirror with and critical eye and nodded in her own approval; brushing a wavy, gold lock of hair over her shoulder, she watched the sun as it began to descend over the horizon, like a great orange ball rolling slowly away.

Knowing the students would be arriving before long, she made her way down the winding staircases to the Great Hall. Taking her seat at the front with the other professors, she looked up to the enchanted ceiling. It darkened quickly to reveal twinkling stars, and the candles flickered to life, providing more light than seemed possible by candle. _Only magic,_ she though, grinning.

Within minutes, the students were filing in, all the Second years up to the Seventh years. The prefects stood over them, most of them looking rather haughty, especilly the new ones.

Katherine smirked. _They think they're so special… they'll learn soon enough._

They were seated and began to wait for the first years who would shortly be coming from the lake.

Katherine felt slightly awkward from all the stares she recieved from students. She chuckled to herself, though, as she remembered things like this from her own schooldays. _I'm a new professor, of course, of course... new face..._ The only other one getting any stares was Quirrel.

_Ah, yes,_ thought she, _Quirrel the squirrel._ The way the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor stuttered, winced and twitched reminded her much of the rodent. _Godric... the five year difference makes him no more the child than I... How foolish, though... he went into the Black Forest on his own... It's surprising, however, how he's the DADA professor, and he's now ruined himself for eternity after encountering a few vampires and a hag or two... Now you can't have a normal conversation without approaching him from whatever direction he's facing. Otherwise you'll scare him, he'll squeal like a little girl, and he'll have trouble speaking properly the rest of the time… not that he'd speak properly, anyway. _

Moments later, a line of mostly nervous-looking was waiting behind Professor McGonagall at the entrance to the Great Hall. _Aww, ickle-firsties,_ Katherine thought, but then immediately corrected herself, reminding herself that she was now a professor.

The next thing that reached her mind was Dumbledore's warning against favoring a certain student, and she immediately began scanning the crowd. She'd seen some at Diagon Alley, and others she didn't recognize. _Well, there's Draco Malfoy_, she thought, repulsed_. It obviously wouldn't be him. Ah, possibly the Weasley boy... I can't remember his name, though... I don't know the bushy-haired girl standing next to him, but I do know Neville. I'm not sure... I don't think I know any others, though I've seen some of them around Diagon Alley…_

Suddenly she did a double-take. _James? Impossible!_ But then she noticed a small, jagged scar on his forhead. "Harry!" she whispered. "James's son... oh, heavens, do I understand now!" Tears filled her eyes at the sight of the child, a spitting-image of his father and a friend she'd lost.

She glanced down the table to where the Potions Master sat, and she couldn't help but give a small smirk when she saw him. He had a scowl on his face, which he quickly rid himself of, so he'd obviously seen the boy also.

As Professor Dumbledore rose, a hush fell over the room as the crowd of students and teachers respectfully acknowledged their headmaster. A stool was placed in the center of the room, directly in front of the professors' table. Placed on top of it was a ratty, old hat, which unless one knew, looked like a pile of rags.

To the surprise of some, it sprang to life, belting out its song-- always different from previous years. Once it finished, Professor McGonagall came forth with a scroll of parchment with the students' names on it, and the sorting began.

Katherine didn't take in much more of their sorting than that of those she knew. For example, Draco Malfoy was obviously put into Slytherin before the hat had barely brushed his head.

_His father will be glad to hear that,_ she thought.

Then there was the Weasley boy, put into Gryffindor like the rest of his siblings. Another Gryffindor was Neville Longbottom. Though he seemed timid (and a bit clumsy), it was no surprise when she thought of his parents.

Finally came the moment that many had been waiting for. Harry slowly sat on the stool once his name was called, and the room was hushed other than a few curious murmurs. The murmurs slowly grew louder as the hat was placed on his head, sagging over his eyes. It seemed to take ages as the hat considered all possibilities. Katherine understood how complex it must have been. His parents had been extraordinary people, and where to place their son, also The Boy Who Lived, should be a challenging task.

Finally the boy shifted a little, and all went silent in the hall. That was when the hat bellowed its decision, to much of the cheering of that table: "GRYFFINDOR!"

The sortings, which no one paid much attention to any longer, ended quickly, and the headmaster rose again to begin the year. After the usual and unusual welcome and doings, the feast began.

Katherine had almost forgotten how incredible the food at Hogwarts was. She herself hadn't eaten one of the meals for as long as she'd been away, and now she realized how much she missed it. It was just another reason she was glad to be back.

She much enjoyed her time at the feast, eating and chatting with those around her, like Professors Flitwick and Sprout, whom she was seated between. As things quieted down as the students were full and getting and sleepy, they were taken by their head of house to their dormitories. Katherine simply sat for a while as people left. Eventually she decided it was time for her to be leaving, also, so she slipped out, one of the last to leave.

She plodded slowly up the stairs, gazing around herself as she remembered what it was like to walk up these same steps years before. Suddenly, almost instinctively, she paused.

_That's odd... why did I do that?_ With a simple shrug, she took another step, which caught her foot and caused her to trip and fall. She attempted to rise, but seemed to be stuck.

_Dammit. It's the trick stair._ No matter how she tried, her foot wasn't going to be coming out any time soon. _It seems like I'll be waiting for someone to come find me._

She twisted about some, until she could position herself comfortably and not look totally idiotic, considering her situation. She shifted and fidgeted, finally putting her chin in her hand. It seemed to take ages for anyone to come, and whenever she heard a sound, the footsteps wouldn't come past.

Finally footsteps echoed her way; Severus Snape came about the corner. He stopped at the bottom of the staircase, lip curling as he noticed her. "Well Katherine," he said with a smirk as he ascended, "it seems you're in a bit of a sticky situation." He swaggered to a stop merely a step below her, seemingly enjoying the agitation it was causing her.

She pursed her lips, ready to argue, but then simply sighed. "Spare me, Severus, and just get me out of here."

"Fine," he said, with one last, conceited smirk. He held out his hands, and moved one foot back to brace himself. Katherine firmly grasped his hands. He tugged, and not expecting such a hard pull, she flew forward, easily coming out of the step, and fell against him.

She reflexively grabbed his shoulders, and he grasped hers, keeping her from falling any farther. She was glad he'd braced himself, or else both of them would have tumbled down the stairs. She slowly regained herself, pulling away. Their cheeks brushed, and she felt herself blush red.

Not willing to meet his eyes, she stared at the floor. "Thank you..." she said, the thought trailing off. She glanced up quickly to see him give a curt nod, then he walked off, pursuing any business he had left for that night.

She stood for a moment, pondering things; snapping out of her reverie, she turned about, barely remembering to hop over the stair, and hastily made her way back to her room.

Sitting on the edge of her bed and replaying the scene in her mind, she shivered at the awkwardness of it and how embarrassing it was. It seemed impossible to pry her mind off of that man, though. And why she blushed she wasn't sure. Was it only embarrassment, or was there something more to the color in her cheeks?

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A/N: 'Tis the End of this chapter. Give me reviews! I need motivation: P I have to totally redo the next chapter, so expect it to be a while, since school's starting, too. But please, do review.


	4. Ch3: The Effort of the Argument

A/N: cries My apologies to my readers. I've been a lazy bum. I had the sudden urge to work on this… so this is the result. I won't make any promises anymore… I'm too terrible at keeping them. Sorry… TT

Also: a couple of months ago I put up this chapter and took it down about five minutes later after realizing something. This one was really weak because I basically complete it in the next chapter of my old version. Thus I didn't really combine the two… but I made a different chapter break.

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Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry Potter, but I don't. JKR does.

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Katherine groaned as the rays of sunlight hit her face. _The damn window has to be constructed at the perfect angle to do that, doesn't it?_ She yanked the covers over her head.

_I'll never be able to get back to sleep,_ she thought, struggling to sit up. She moved her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched, not expecting when she slipped off the bed and landed on the floor. She shivered and thought grumpily, _It was so much nicer under the covers..._

She slipped into her robes, glad to be warm and ready for the day. Standing in front of the mirror after fixing her hair, she rubbed her eyes and sighed, then turned and left her room for the Great Hall.

_Apples are supposed to be good for keeping you awake,_ she thought as she took a bite out of one. She then reached for the oatmeal but seemed to think twice, and instead grabbed a large chocolate chip muffin.

After eating, she decided to go to her classroom a bit early; on her way out the door, she yawned, which caused her to nearly bump into Snape.

"Soor--- sorry," she said, stifling another yawn.

He just frowned and brushed past.

She snorted as she continued on her way. "Well, good morning, sunshine."_  
_

_-_

Just as she finished doing her last preparations and sat in her seat, the students began arriving. She leaned back in her seat, fingering her wand as they took theirs. It was Hufflepuff and Gryffindors; the only ones she recognized were the Weasley twins.

She shifted on her uncomfortable wooden chair for quite a while before finally realizing that it would remain uncomfortable. "Confound this..." She muttered an incantation and was suddenly sitting in rather plushy armchair.

After a quick headcount, verifying that all were there, she stood and turned to the board. In a fast but legible scrawl, she wrote the words, "Professor Avexton; Spell Application," on the board.

"I'm assuming you all know what you're here for; Spell Applications. The name is pretty self-explanatory. Basically, it's a fancy way of saying that you learn how to use the spells you've learned practically and sensibly.

"For example, being graced with a most comfortable wooden chair, I decided I'd rather have something even easier on my rear. I used a transfiguration spell to change it to an armchair, as some of you witnessed. Any questions?"

One of the Weasley boys slowly raised his hand, trying to look innocent. "I was wondering, Professor... how do you deal with situations of misbehavior among the students?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not going to make threats of hanging you by your ankles from the dungeon ceilings." Most who understood this chuckled quietly, but were still curious as to how I'd react. "However, I punish as I see necessary in the situation, as by subtracting points from your house, possibly a detention, or creative penalties of my own device."

They seemed satisfied with this answer, but she felt the need to add one thing. "I'd like to remind you that it is unwise for you to try anything... _fishy_... with me. I'm rather familiar with those sorts of things." She couldn't suppress a grin.

She spent the first class as basic question-and-answer time, seeing what they thought; she did much the same with her other classes. It all seemed to go very quickly, even too quickly

_It's too bad students don't start this class until their third year..,_ she thought, _or else I might have Harry in my class._

When the day was spent, she made her way to the empty staff room and collapsed into one of the armchairs with a large yawn that she'd forgotten to make. Stretching her arms above her head, she couldn't help but say to herself, "I love my new job." It was true. The people, place, everything was wonderful. However, as she settled down into the chair, almost dozing, there was a certain potions master that she couldn't get off her mind.

She rose lazily from her chair. _I still have the whole rest of the week left. I can't go falling asleep in the staff room._

That was when the one certain potions master just happened to walk in the room, looking completely disgusted... more disgusted than normal, that is. He seemed completely oblivious to Katherine as he dropped his pile of parchment rolls onto the table.

"Well," she said, "you a bit rather frustrated." She leaned casually against the back of the armchair she'd been sitting in.

"Brilliant deduction, Watson."

"There must be a reason."

"There must be, but I feel no need to disclose such information to you."

"Suit yourself. It really doesn't hurt me at all when you're a miserable recluse."

He scowled. "If you must know, it seems that almost every student has turned into a complete moron over the summer, only with the exception of most of a bit more than half of my own house. None of the first years know a single thing about potions-making, either. I'll be putting up with all this for a while; hopefully I won't have _another _three explosions tomorrow." With that, he pursed his lips and turned his concentration to the rolls of parchment in from of him.

She rolled her eyes, knowing from experience that some of the students' knowledge was always lost over the summer. She also knew that the potions master's expectations were rather high. With a sigh, she left for her chambers, knowing that he wouldn't hear a thing she could say, anyway.

_Men can be so stubborn sometimes. I don't think it's worth the effort of the argument._

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A/N: I'm already half-don editing the next chapter. I first planned to fully combine it with this one… then I just decided to change the chapter break. _Hopefully_ it won't be long until I put it up. If things turn out otherwise… my sincere apologies. --


	5. Ch4: The One on Her Mind

A/N: Hurrah! I got it up relatively quickly. I intended to put it up earlier, but that didn't happen... Yay for good news.

I'd like to that my readers who've been reviewing. It always gives me a smile. I must apologize, though, that I've been a bit to busy to reply properly.

Anyway, this chapter is where the good stuff begins.

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The next few days of classes weren't really weighing down on Katherine's mind. She delved into basics and had her students write essays. She knew she'd be grading many, many essays that year. However much work she had, though, it still wasn't quite a challenge... not that she really minded. It gave her time to think on other things.

What _was_ on her mind was that potions master. Still. Maybe it was the fact that she had more of a connection with him than with any of the other staff; yes, her connection with him was _much_ deeper than those with others. At times she found herself staring without realizing it. She would suddenly become aware of what she was doing when he would glance over and her face would turn red, as he gave her a 'Just what _are_ you doing' looks. She always hated blushing, so she began to try to avoid watching him. She found it quite hard and gave up on that very quickly, feeling like a small child trying to avoid eating a cookie on the plate in front of them.

After a time of glancing at her with an arched eyebrow, he began to meet her gaze with a straight face. She began feeling her stomach squirm at times like those. It was as if he had grown accustomed to it and almost began accepting it; she didn't know why he'd accept it, though. She also began to notice an unintentional adjustment in her schedule; namely, this took place at mealtimes. Hers were becoming more synchronous with his.

Severus seemed to take notice of this, but made a mighty attempt to ignore it. She could feel his glare, like white-hot daggers, though, when he'd walk in and see her there first; it must have been quite an intense glare, for her to feel it from across the Great Hall. She assumed this was something he didn't want to acknowledge.

Sitting in her room one night several weeks later, she took all this to mind. _Look what's becoming of me!_ She wasn't sure whether to be worried about herself or to laugh at the idiocy of it, so she did the latter. "Friends. We've always been friends." _I just never talk to him; that's the problem... which I'll have to solve._

The next day, after finishing her classes, she made her way down through the dimly-lit dungeon halls. _I never liked it down here,_ she thought with a shudder. They always made her feel a bit claustrophobic. Despite the fact that the Hogwarts dungeons were mostly just dark and cool, the thought of "dungeon" always gave her the mental images of "dank" and "shady." She remembered growing accustomed to it during school, but she guesssed it would take a while, again, after all those years.

She felt a bit awkward, being the one to come to him; then again, it should be normal to want to catch up a bit. That shouldn't be awkward, should it?

Arriving at the classroom, she found the door was slightly ajar. She moved against the doorframe, peering through the crack and smiled to herself at the view. He sat at his desk, writing fiercely on a piece a parchment; his brows were knit, and a small, almost natural frown was on his face.

_Godric... you know something's wrong when a frown looks natural._ She shook her head and grinned to herself before knocking on the door. He didn't reply, so she knocked again, louder.

"Come in," came the annoyed response.

_He's probably upset that anyone should dare disturb him from his precious paperwork,_ she thought with a smirk.

She walked in as calmly as she could, making her way casually to where he sat at the front of the classroom. He looked up for a moment, one eyebrow raised, but he almost immediately went back to scritch-scratching away with his quill.

"Hello, Severus. I haven't talked to you in a while."

He paused mid-scratch to look up at her. "Why, Katherine, what a pleasant surprise," he droned, not sounding at all surprised or as if this was in the least bit pleasant. "Despite how I would most certainly enjoy talking to you at the moment, I have much to get done."

"Well," she replied, "I certainly thought you could certainly make a bit of time for an old friend you would most certainly enjoy talking to, except that you have so much to do."

He paused again, then looked up, studying her for a moment. "Alright," he said slowly, "what are you so desperate to talk about." He sat back in his chair, folding his hands on his desk.

She couldn't help but smile. She sat on a stool situated close by, crossing her legs and casually resting one arm on his desk. "Well,' I haven't talked to you-- really talked to you-- in quite a long time, since our school years, I suppose. I'd just like to talk to you about how things have been going for you." She could feel her heart beat quicken as she waited for his response.

He tensed and clenched his jaw for a moment; Katherine realized she'd touched a nerve, as one of the things that happened in that time was his experience as a Death Eater. He looked up at her and must have seen the look on her face; after a strained moment he replied, "Since... the war, I have been at Hogwarts. It's been my life, teaching the students the _joys_ of potions-making after being denied the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, _year-- after-- year_." Obviously his job was another sore spot, she realized.

"Well you're obviously doing a good job at teaching," she said quietly, "if your students are easily able to write such an amount as what I've been seeing you grade."

He smirked. "You'd be surprised." After a moment of silence, he remarked sarcastically, "And what _incredible_ things have you accomplished in that time?"

She blushed. "Not much of anything." She began describing the various jobs she'd had at Diagon Alley. As she talked, she could she him visibly relax a bit. After a minute, he picked up his quill and began to write again, while she kept talking. However, he didn't seem to mind.

When she finally finished and was quiet for a moment, he looked up, smirking. "Is that all?"

"I suppose."

He looked back to his work. "Well, I really must be finishing," he said shortly.

"Oh... yes," she said quickly, rising to her feet. "I guess I'll be going, then. It was nice... I-- I enjoyed talking with you."

He looked up with a piercing gaze, smirking again. As she looked into his deep, dark eyes, she felt like he could see right through her. It was a disturbing-- but in some odd way, entertaining-- feeling. "Yes. I thought you would." Katherine felt like her stomach dropped out of her body and tumbled about fifty feet down a steep embankment; the look he gave her made her heart begin to race again.

The smirk on his face became more prominent. In a quiet, all too innocent tone, he asked, "Are you quite alright, Katherine? Your face is turning red."

"I-- I'm fine!" she said a bit loudly, feeling vulnerable. "Well... I guess I'll be seeing you..." As he snorted and looked back to his work, she rushed out.

Once outside, she leaned against the cool stone wall, steadying herself. She ran her hands, now clammy, through her hair; she took a deep breath of the cool air, which was totally opposite to the skin on her face, flushed and warm. "_What's wrong with me?_" she muttered.

-

A/N: After you've read this, I'm sorry, but I have some bad news. : ( It's probably going to be a _while_ before I get anything more up, due to the point I've reached in the old version. Up to this point was about the most salvageable stuff. Even this chapter had to be majorly reworked. The rest is ooshy-gooshy out-of-character crap, mostly. I'm going to have to be doing a lot of writing from scratch. Trust me, it's going to be worth it, though.

Lastly, I must say that when you review, don't be afraid to criticize. It helps me improve. : )


	6. Ch5: Monologues

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I haven't updated in ages… and my sincere apologies for it. I've been excessively busy the past few months, though. I finally had the urge (after reading some good fics) to put some work into mine. Here's the result. Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I own Katherine. I own the romantic plot. If you think I own anything else, you're a moron.

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A craving, that's what it was. Not for anything like chocolate or anything material at all; neither was it for adventure or some experience. It was a craving for company. For someone to care, to talk, to listen. And whenever she felt that consistent desire in the past few days, she always wanted to be with the same person. Severus Snape.

_Is it odd?_ she wondered again and again. She repeated her reasoning over and over to herself; they'd been childhood friends and he was closest in age to her compared to the rest of the staff. And she never seemed to long for female company; only his.

That's why a week later, Katherine had returned to his office in the evening, standing outside the door and questioning whether she should go in. She let go of the lock of hair that she'd been nervously twirling between her fingers, then knocked tentatively. She half hoped he'd hear it, and half hoped he wouldn't so she could leave, maybe stopping at the kitchen for something that would calm her stomach. It felt like something was tickling the inside of it.

"Enter," came the reply. She stomach only somersaulted a few more times as this

He was seated at his desk. His arms were crossed and a quill was in his hand, but it didn't look as if he'd been writing, maybe just contemplating what he should write. He was looking just as agitated as usual; his face was intense, and his gaze piercing. Katherine could feel it as his eyes bore into her as she entered, not disdainfully, but nonetheless cold.

_No sneer, thank goodness,_ she thought. His eyes were the only thing moved as she came in, following her as she walked, besides the shallow rise and fall of his chest. _Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale._ She blinked hard to keep herself in reality.

"So you came back."

"As if that isn't already obvious," she said, trying to speak steadily. Her heart had begun to beat faster. "I came to ask you about--"

"What did you come for this time?" he interrupted, voice like razors. "Have you assumed after your monologue last time that we're best of friends now, and I'll happily do you a favor?"

Katherine was taken aback, and stuttered. "I-- I don't know why you would assume that." She wasn't quite sure what to do. Her stomach had stopped that odd feeling and now she just felt sick. She looked away. "I really-- I wanted to ask you-- I... I just came to talk."

She glanced up. He still pressed his lips together in a thin line, but he seemed to have less determination. "What about the other professors in the school?"

"I-- I-- don't know." She struggled to think of something to say, a way to explain. "I guess-- I guess I just wanted someone to talk to, and the first person I thought of was you."

After hearing this, his expression notably softened, as did his voice. "Come sit down, then," he said in a more subdued tone. He placed the quill on his desk. She was rather surprised, but did so. "Now. What is it you came to talk about?"

Katherine opened her mouth to speak, but stopped and shook her head with a smile. "I just came to talk. About anything."

"You felt lonely." He didn't even ask; it was a statement.

"What makes you think--" She stopped there. "How did you know?"

He smirked. "There was a time when I, also, had first started to teach here."

"What was it like?"

Those four words began a long and wonderful conversation. Listening to his voice, Katherine no longer felt so lonely; she felt content. After a while, she didn't notice the feeling in her stomach, and her heart no longer pounded. She simply felt at ease.

She talked less than half the time. She never thought the man had so much to say. Much of it was sarcastic, acerbic, bitter, but he spoke. She could be grateful for that much.

_And his voice!_ Listening to him pour his low, silky tones over the words he spoke, she wondered how she never realized before how stirring the sound was. How much she loved to listen. How much she'd enjoy having him murmur those same, maybe even softer, tones to her...  
right it her ear...  
feeling his warm breath on her cheek...

feeling his body heat from such little distance…

A sudden wave of clarity washed over her thoughts. _What the hell? Where did that idea come from?_ She shivered a little. The concept was absurd... yet she didn't find it unpleasant.

She allowed her eyes to drift over him. She knew the greasy hair wasn't just from his own self; he'd once said that it had a lot to do with working with potions so much. And his nose? Prominent, but not terribly ugly as whispers implied. His skin tone could be expected from one who basically lived his whole life inside, now, mainly in dungeons. His eyes... were so deep. Like endless pools of shadow, dark and glinting like obsidian. Her eyes wandered farther than his face. His shoulders were broader than they had been in their schooldays, more masculine, firmer. And his figure was no longer that of a skeleton covered in a skin. His robes didn't hang from his body; he filled them out to a proper degree, but no more.

"Are you quite alright?" Katherine hadn't even realized that Severus had stopped talking, and she was surprised by his sudden speaking again.

"What? Yes! Fine." She felt a bit flustered.

"You look feverish." He smirked, looking her directly in the eyes. It was then that she realized that her cheeks were burning.

Eyes darting around the room, she put a hand up to her face. _He's a legilimens,_ she remembered. _If he could tell what I was thinking..._ She rushed into her words, "Oh. Well. I suppose I might be catching something. Maybe I should be leaving." She almost felt torn saying that, but she was so confused right now.

"Rest up," he said, his smirk widening a little. Their eyes locked. His glinted... _mischievously?_ She shut her eyes, shivering. Turning on her heel, she rushed out, feeling ready to stumble over her own two feet like a klutzy schoolgirl.

Katherine's shoes clicked up the stairs; she could barely think in her haste. Not until she was back in her room, safe. Safe? From what? Her own feelings? She couldn't hide from them, there.

Collapsing onto her couch, she curled up, clutching her knees to her chest. "I feel like a damn schoolgirl again," she said to the empty room. "Not understanding my own feelings, what's inside my own head."

_So what about Severus?_ she pondered. _Why the sudden rush of emotions over him? What do I feel for him?_

A phrase echoed inside her head, weaving itself through her thoughts, as it had been since she'd first seen him again. _Love._ It had been entangling her mind like fishing line, invisible until it was the single, inevitable option.

She began her monologue to the room again. "I've always loved him-- at least like a brother. I had a crush on him in my school years, but we grew apart after that. I never even thought..." she trailed off, waiting for some kind of answer. The room only answered in silence.

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A/N: Yay, cliffhanger! And, chyeah, Kathy finally comes to her great realization. Anyways…

A sincere thank you to my reviewers (especially for saying that there's not much to criticize—that's very encouraging). I beg for reviews. Harsh, motivating, or just a little note on why you liked it… it all works for me. They make me feel happy… and criticism helps me improve. Haha, and sorry if it's too short.

I already started on the next chapter… but who knows when it will be up… :\ 'Til then, love and kisses. :)


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